PESHAWAR, Jan 7: The residents of Tangi tehsil, Charsadda District, have asked the provincial government to ban illegal exploration of Asbestos and Chromite deposits.

Speaking at a Press conference here on Monday, an elder of Tangi tehsil, Captain (retd) Hamid Kamal Mohammadzai said that some influential people of the area, including a former chief minister, were exploiting natural resources of the area and involved in the illegal extraction of Asbestos and Chromite.

He said that Sarhad Development Authority had been informed of illegal mining of mineral deposits but the organization did not take any action to stop this unlawful practice.

Besides, he said, a writ petition had been filed in the Peshawar High Court.

Mohammadzai appealed to the Chairman, National Accountability Bureau, to investigate the matter and take legal action against the responsible people who had earned huge money through illegal exploration of mineral deposits of the area.